Civil aviation in the Republic of Korea has shown truly remarkable development despite its short history allowing the country
to emerge as one of the largest air transport markets in the world over the past two decades. Today, it stands as the 6th largest
country in terms of air transport volume (2011) and the 10th in financial contributions to ICAO (2012).

In 2011, there were nearly 42 million international passenger movements at Korean airports. Passenger traffic volume has
increased continuously since 1999 except for the sudden drops in 2003 and 2008 due to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak and the global financial crisis. While accomplishing this growth, the ROK has continued to develop
prestigious, world-class global airlines and an award-winning international airport: The volume of international cargo movement at Korean airports totaled 3.2 million tons in 2011. Cargo traffic has also been growing steadily and it is expected to keep growing with the international cargo market gradually moving towards increased liberalization.

Liberalization

The ROK has gradually undertaken progressive liberalization in both its cargo and passenger transportation sectors, working to increase capacity of entitlement and new routes through bilateral air consultations with major States. These efforts currently include negotiations on third party code-sharing arrangements, multiple designator or double tracking, and price filing systems. It is anticipated that a continuation of this approach will support increasing regional liberalization in the near future. This includes negotiating 3rd and 4th Freedom traffic rights in the first stage, expecting 5th Freedom traffic rights to be considered second stage. There are currently 27 agreements for passenger carriage (2012).

Cargo services have been addressed in a more liberal manner because of their importance in stimulating exchanges between countries in the region and to the role of the Incheon International Airport as an Asia-Pacific logistics hub. Under this approach, the ROK has implemented cargo liberalization agreements with 38 States (2012).

Aviation Safety

Aviation Safety

The ROK is dedicated to the development of a healthy air transport system in a rapid growth industry. In particular, the ROK is proud to have established a highly-standardized safety oversight system in full compliance with the international standards and recommended practices. These accomplishments of the ROK were demonstrated with the score of the ICAO Universal SafetyOversight Audit Program (USOAP) in 2008, a key indicator of the health of a State's civil aviation safety.

Effective Implementation of ICAO SARPs

Implementing and managing a large number of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) with frequentamendments are challenging tasks for Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) throughout the world. Identifying and filing differenceswith ICAO are comprehensive tasks which require a great deal of time and effort. In this regard, the ROK has developed theSARPs Management and Implementation System (SMIS) to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of SARPs management.

SMIS is designed to manage the records related to all of the ICAO SARPs, aiding to keep them up-to-date, and manage full compliance with ICAO SARPs efficiently on the basis of continuous monitoring. Moreover, it is devised to respond to ICAOState Letters in a timely manner in order to track related follow-up actions.

The ROK has made the SMIS freely available, and has distributed it to over 40 ICAO Contracting States since its development in2006. The system continues to evolve to meet ultimate goal-improve global aviation safety.

Aviation Safety Inspection and Surveillance

Aiming at ensuring the safe operation of aircraft and airports, the Office of Civil Aviation under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport certifies air carriers and international airports in the ROK, and approves maintenance organizations.

Highly-trained and experienced inspectors continuously conduct surveillance on the capability, reliability and safety performanceof the air operators, airport operators and other service providers in all various aviation fields.

Harmonized Implementation of SMS

Safety Management Systems (SMS) have been fully implemented by aircraft and airport operators and air traffic control serviceproviders since September 1 2008. In order to develop a harmonized and effective SMS, coordinated efforts have been madeamong the authority concerned, service providers and research institutes in the aviation field.

Furthermore, the "Safety Reporting System" has been improved to manage and share safety information systematically andpromote safety culture in a non-punitive environment. An efficient and effective tool-the internet-based electronic reportingsystem has been adopted to enable timely reporting for all aviation personnel.

Various inspection results and training records have been provided through a web-based safety data management systemcalled "National Aviation Resource & Information System (NARMI)", in order to support the management of aviation safety datacontaining aircraft registration.

ISO 9001

The ROK earned ISO 9001 certification in 2012 for quality control systems on overall aviation safety that have significantlycontributed to maintaining its world class aviation safety.

Personnel Licensing and Training

The airman licenses and ratings are issued in compliance with ICAO standards based on the knowledge, skill and medical assessments to ensure airman's qualification.

From 2010, written examinations will be available through a computer-based system. Using the All-time Remote Testing System (ARTS), pilots, air traffic controllers, flight dispatchers and aviation engineers, many of whom are shift-workers, will be able to undertake a personnel licensing test irrespective of time. This transition from a traditional paper-based test to a computer-based test will be convenient and cost-effective. The new computer-based written examination system would improve competitiveness of the aviation industry.

In order to improve the English proficiency of the pilots, air traffic controllers and aeronautical station operator, the Office of Civil Aviation has developed a customized Aviation English training program and an Aviation English proficiency test program in line with the effective date of the related ICAO SARPs.

The ROK launched the Next Aviation Leader Development Aid Project in order to prepare for future aviation demand and create jobs. As it takes considerable time to nurture aviation personnel, the Korean government provides support in training and education of aviation professionals starting from high school to college. To meet future pilot demand, next generation pilots are trained at Uljin Flight Training Academy. In going forward, the ROK plans to develop a comprehensive database system of aviation personnel which will cover the entire human resource cycle including demand forecast, HR development and management.

Air Navigation Services

Air Navigation Services

510 qualified and well-trained air traffic controllers are handling more than 1,500 arrival and departure flights precisely in 24 hours a day with state-of-the-art equipment. NAVAIDs such as VOR, ILS and RADAR are operating day-to-day to ensure flight safety. Also, flight inspection aircraft conducts evaluations to maintain the accuracy of those NAVAIDs.

Advanced Air Traffic Management

Efficient airspace management is gaining more and more importance as the air traffic volume of Asia Pacific is growing rapidly. The ROK is making consistent efforts to maximize traffic volume by adapting cutting-edge technologies in airspace management.

In order to ensure safe and efficient airspace and effectively manage air traffic, the ROK implemented various initiatives such as: developing parallel routes and Standard Instrument Departure/Arrival (SID/STAR) procedures using Performance Based Navigation (PBN) technologies; providing radar surveillance and communication service for entire Flight Information Region (FIR); implementing Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM); introducing Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) systems and setting up the second Area Control Center (ACC).

Furthermore, the ROK has made constant investments in Research and Development (R&D) of air navigation facilities for safer air navigation and more efficient airport operations. As a result, the ROK successfully developed the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Doppler VHF Omni-directional Radio Range (DVOR) all with its own technology and with state-of-the-art IT. What is fascinating is that they are in compliance with international standards, easy to repair and maintain and able to operate at peak performance even in the ROK's mountainous terrain as well as other challenging topography.

In addition, the ROK developed the Pavement Management System (PMS) to better manage runway safety as well as LED Airfield Light and the Individual Lighting Control & Monitoring System (ILCMS) to realize low-carbon green airports. All these are exported to 14 countries already.

Aviation Security

Aviation security in the ROK has been strengthened by its comprehensive legal system and the effective implementation of advanced technology. Currently, the ROK has one of the most reliable and advanced aviation security systems in the world, as verified by the first cycle of the ICAO security audits (USAP).

The Office of Civil Aviation has put security policies in place to proactively deal with threats such as unlawful interference. In order to achieve this goal, the Office of Civil Aviation has developed and implemented a National Civil Aviation Security Program that ensures the implementation of aircraft and airport operator security programs. The program is supported by the National Civil Aviation Security Quality Control Program.

In-flight security is assured by both aircraft operators and the Office of Civil Aviation. Aircraft have been protected with bulletproof cockpit doors and security tools such as gas guns and air tasers have been deployed. In addition the ICAO Security Control Guidelines for Liquids, Aerosols and Gels (LAGs) have been fully implemented as of March 2007.

Aerospace Industry

The aerospace industry in the ROK started from the maintenance of military aircraft in the 1950s. During the 1970s, Korean Air produced 500MD helicopters and F-5 fighters. As the aerospace industry became more developed in the 1980s, airframe structures for commercial airplanes were produced and exported to both Boeing and Airbus.

By the 1990s, Korean Air continued to produce UH-60 helicopters and the Korea Aerospace Industry (KAI) enhanced its technology and knowledge in order to develop aircraft such as the KT-1 turboprop trainer and T-50 jet trainer.

The ROK aerospace industry continues to grow by participating as a risk-sharing partner for new commercial airplanes such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus 350, and through performing aircraft MRO (Maintenance Repair and Overhaul) under AMO (Approved Maintenance Organization) approvals from the US Federal Aviation Administration, the European Aviation Safety Agency and the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

The ROK successfully completed the development of two-seater and four-seater aircraft; and a 12-seat business jet and commercial unmanned aerial vehicle are also in development. In this regard, the ROK concluded a bilateral agreement with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and accelerated its efforts to establish a certification system to support future mass production.

Airports

Airport Operation Certification

There are 15 airports in the Republic of Korea and all the airports used for international operations have been certified by the Office of Civil Aviation, in accordance with National Regulations and applicable ICAO SARPs.

Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC)

The Incheon International Airport, operated by the Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), is one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. As a gateway to the Republic of Korea, Incheon International Airport is leading the way into the region's future, aiming to become a hub of northeast Asia.
Currently, 84 airlines are operating at the airport, linking 176 cities worldwide The airport has worldwide reputation: named as the "Best Airport Worldwide" an unprecedented 8 consecutive years in the ACI's Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Survey. In addition, it was named the World's Best Airport by Skytrax in 2012.

So far, over 6,400 airport operators from around the world have visited Incheon International Airport to learn from its success. Also, the airport exported airport operation know-how to countries including Russia, Indonesia, Iraq and the Philippines. Once the third phase expansion project of the airport is completed by 2017, Incheon International Airport is expected to emerge as a stronger hub airport of Northeast Asia handling over 62 million passengers and 5.8 million tonnes of cargo a year.

Korea Airports Corporation (KAC)

The Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) manages and operates 14 airports, as a specialized organization in airport management in the Republic of Korea. It also plays an important role for civil aviation in the ROK through the operation and maintenance of the facilities of the Area Control Centers, en-route NAVAIDs and through the provision of aviation training courses.

As the first airport operator in the ROK, the KAC developed navigational aids, DVOR and DME, with its own technology and they have been installed in the ROK and exported to 15 airports in 7 countries. KAC is involved in consultation and construction projects of overseas airports to be a globally recognized organization, specialized in airport management.

International Cooperation

As Member of the ICAO Council

As an ICAO Council Member, the Republic of Korea strives to contribute to the international community. It has been providing its self-developed safety management software to Member States free of charge. In addition, the ROK is in the middle of developing a programme in cooperation with the ICAO Air Navigation Bureau so that Member States can more easily exchange safety related data.

International Contributions

Recognizing the importance of specialized support and cooperation to the international civil aviation society, the ROK has been contributing in many ways. It supports ICAO's primary international safety and security programs, participated in various projects, directly and indirectly, in the way of such as financial assistance, secondment, etc. With its advanced IT technologies, the ROK developed various web-based programs, including the SMIS and the Safety Oversight Management System (SOMS). These have also been developed in international versions to share their benefit with the world.

The ROK has invited more than 837 aviation personnel from 97 countries to participate in Fellowship Training Programme since 2001 and has provided comprehensive programs consisted of classroom lectures, practical laboratory training and on-site visits to airports and manufacturing companies.

In 2012, 184 aviation personnel were invited under an MOU signed between the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the International Civil Aviation Organization for cooperation in the development of training programmes.

Environmental Protection

The Office of Civil Aviation has established a comprehensive strategy and action plan in the aviation sector to positively address climate change, a global environmental issue. This action plan will be implemented with the joint efforts of government, operators, airport authorities and research institutes.

The Group on Aviation and Climate Change is playing a key role for effective implementation. The actions include the several plans such as the introduction of new highly fuel-efficient aircraft, the establishment of a next generation navigation system, shortening both ground movements and flight distances as well as environmentally-friendly airport operation.

Also, programs are under development for maintaining accurate emission statistics through the establishment of a database management system in the aviation sector and voluntary agreement between government and aviation industry in order to pursue an aggressive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.